Inspiring Stories: Women With HIV/AIDS
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| When she tested HIV positive in 2002 at the age of 16, Thembi Ngubane scarcely had an idea what HIV meant or what to do next. Now, there are few people on the planet who could tell such an inspiring story of growth, strength and redemption. Read her story. |
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| Damaries Cruz is an optimist. "I had to find a way to turn this horrible thing into a positive." She chooses to celebrate her life. Read her story. |
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| When 23 years of faithful marriage came to an unpleasant end, Jane, 66 when this was written, had no way of knowing just how well she'd rise to the challenges she was about to face. Now she enjoys life fully and is proud of her two grandchildren. |
- This Positive Life: Former Pop Star Sherri Lewis Talks About Living With HIV (October 2009)
From The Body
- Personal Perspective: Life and Death and HIV on Long Island (Summer 2009)
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In Achieve, from ACRIA and GMHC
- Tiger Medicine (July/August 2009)
A Native American woman's story
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In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- Evany Turk (July/August 2009)
A success story.
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In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- Living With "The Monster" (Winter 2008/2009)
"Are we going to die like those people on TV?" was the first thing 6-year-old Raven Lopez asked when her mom told her she was HIV positive. Her mom's answer, of course, was "no" -- and 12 years later, both of them are still going strong.
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In Achieve, from ACRIA and GMHC
- Philadelphia Extra Marks 19 Years Living With HIV (November 20, 2008)
Sue Kehler was among dozens of people with HIV who were in the landmark 1993 film. She recalls how the film inspired her to stop hiding her HIV status and leave her abusive fiance.
In The Philadelphia Inquirer
- This Positive Life: An Interview With Damaries Cruz (October 15, 2008)
HIV-positive Latina goes public with her status in the Hispanic community.
From The Body
- Thembi Ngubane: Mother, Activist, South African ... and Proof Positive That You Can Thrive With HIV (August 3, 2008)
When she tested HIV positive in 2002 at the age of 16, Thembi Ngubane scarcely had an idea what HIV meant or what to do next. Now, there are few people on the planet who could tell such an inspiring story of growth, strength and redemption.
In The XVII International AIDS Conference, from The Body
- Alba: "I Think I'm the Oldest Woman Living With HIV!" (June 2008)
In WORLD Newsletter, from Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases
- Taking It Step by Step: An Interview With Dorothy and Lizabeth (June 2008)
In WORLD Newsletter, from Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases
- Martell Randolph -- Rare Virus, Rare Strength (March/April 2008)
Martell Randolph got a double shock nine years ago: She not only found out that she was HIV positive, but that she had HIV-2 -- a rare strain of the virus found mainly in the developing world. She recounts her struggle to get proper treatment.
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In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- Evelyn Hernandez Valentino -- No Longer Alone in the Desert (March/April 2008)
One woman's quest to raise awareness.
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In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- River Huston -- I Feel Good! (March/April 2008)
Attaining survival through illness.
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In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- Personal Perspective: One Woman's Story (Winter 2008)
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In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- An Open Letter: Woman to Woman (September/October 2007)
Heidi Nass describes how she forgave herself for testing positive.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- Going Global (July 6, 2007)
AIDS activist Yvette Raphael single-handedly brought the Campaign to End AIDS to South Africa.
In Housing Works AIDS Issues Update, from Housing Works
- Star of the South (July 6, 2007)
HIV-positive AIDS activist -- and single mom -- Jessica Mardis wins Mississippi's Young Activist of the Year Award.
In Housing Works AIDS Issues Update, from Housing Works
- "HIV Does Not Define Me": How One Woman Came to Accept Her Diagnosis (July 2007)
Diagnosed -- much to her surprise -- at the age of 19 in 2003, Marvelyn Brown needed to first accept her own status before she could begin to educate others .
From Savvy Miss
- Patricia Perez: Nobel Peace Prize Nominee (May 11, 2007)
21 years after her HIV diagnosis, Patricia Perez is not only alive and well; the Argentinian has been nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for her work on behalf of women living with HIV in Latin America.
From Inter Press Service
- Rachel's Story: The Healing Power of Dance (March/April 2007)
After being diagnosed with HIV in Puerto Rico, Rachel Reich found strength and confidence in belly dancing.
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In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- Lisungu Chieza: Starting a New Life With HIV (November 2006)
When Lisungu Chieza was diagnosed with HIV in Zimbabwe in 1996 she plunged into depression, but now she has moved to Canada and found a new purpose -- fighting against HIV.
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In WORLD Newsletter, from Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases
- Lizette Green: Here's to a Decade of Life, Love, and Dreams!!! (June 2006)
Diagnosed with HIV at 16, Lizette Green is now raising three children (all HIV negative) and working as an HIV youth advocate.
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In WORLD Newsletter, from Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases
- Thembi Ngubane: A Young, HIV-Positive Woman From South Africa Speaks Out (April 19, 2006)
Available as a transcript and as a podcast.
From National Public Radio
- Sarah Watson: We Can All Be Heroes (April 2006)
When Sarah Watson, 30, was diagnosed with HIV 13 years ago, she never thought she'd live to win UK Coalition's Community Hero Award for her AIDS activism.
In Positive Nation
- Profiles in Courage: Joyce McDonald (February 2006)
The life of 55-year-old, African-American artist Joyce McDonald is a triumph of will over circumstance.
From The Body
- Profiles in Courage: Marcya Owens (February 2006)
African-American HIV advocate Marcya Owens discusses her life and successes as an HIV-positive, married mother of two.
From The Body
- Profiles in Courage: Michelle Lopez (February 2006)
Trinidad emigrant Michelle Lopez discusses how she fought against depression to become an outspoken advocate for herself and her daughter.
From The Body
- Profiles in Courage: Pamela Neely (February 2006)
Pamela Neely, a 47-year-old African-American, talks about HIV and her struggles with racism, drugs and incarceration.
From The Body
- Profiles in Courage: Precious Jackson (February 2006)
Now married to the love of her life, 33-year-old, African-American Precious Jackson speaks about how HIV makes her feel healthier and more powerful than ever before.
From The Body
- Profiles in Courage: Raven Lopez (February 2006)
Born HIV-positive, Raven Lopez, now 15, has always lived with the virus that she sees as little more than a footnote in her life.
From The Body
- Profiles in Courage: Regina Brandon (February 2006)
Once homeless, 42-year-old, African-American Regina Brandon explains why she sees her HIV-positive status as a blessing in disguise.
From The Body
- Thembi's AIDS Diary: A Year in the Life of a South African Teenager (2006)
From AIDS Diary Project
- Florida: One Woman's Odyssey of Drugs, Sex and HIV Leads to a New Life on South Beach (August 9, 2005)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- A Life Interrupted: How One Woman Picked Up the Pieces After a Late Diagnosis (April 2005)
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In WORLD Newsletter, from Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases
- Lorraine Brown: Journeying From Disclosure to Advocacy (Spring 2005)
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In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- Dating and Daring to Love Again: One Woman's Journey After Becoming a Young, HIV-Positive Widow (March/April 2005)
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In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- Talking About Your Status: One Woman's Decision to Disclose (March/April 2005)
When's the best time to tell a potential partner you have HIV? For Barbara Marcotte, the answer is: Tell them early.
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In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- Beatriz Diaz: From Silence to Success (January 2005)
Beatriz Diaz, 49, learned the hard way that loving yourself is critical to committing to HIV treatment.
In A Guide to Fuzeon: The First Fusion Inhibitor, from The Body
- After an HIV Diagnosis, a Latina From Mexico Discovers Her Power (Winter 2005/2006)
Juana D.'s life was dominated by men, and she got little support from her health providers. It wasn't until after her HIV diagnosis that Juana began to gain confidence in -- and power over -- herself and her sexuality.
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In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- "We Do Not Hide": Profiles of HIV-Positive Women in Malawi (November 2004)
Three stories told by Malawian women who are taking a stand against HIV stigma and discrimination in their country.
From Oxfam
- Women Fighting HIV in Africa Tell Their Story (November 2004)
These four stories highlight the impact of HIV on women in the developing world who are denied their basic human rights.
From Inter Press Service
- Personal Stories From Women Living With HIV (September 2004)
Cathy, Linda and Dorothy offer their perspective on living with HIV, disclosure, adherence and working with doctors.
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In WISE Words, from Project Inform
- Love, Sex, Friends, Medications, Spirituality, Health (Summer 2004)
Marilyn McBride, a 50-year-old mother who has been HIV positive for 10 years, is in great health and spirits.
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In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- Moving Forward (Summer 2004)
Harlem native Yolanda Birthwright, 54, wonders: If I'd never been diagnosed with HIV, would I be enjoying my life as much as I do now?.
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In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- Smell the Coffee! (Summer 2004)
For Joan Warner, who was diagnosed in 1990 at the age of 51, life goes on -- both the good and the bad.
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In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- There's Always Room for Hope (Summer 2004)
As a widow and an HIV-positive woman approaching 60, Sharon's life has taken on new meaning.
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In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- "I Hate Knowing I Will Leave My Son" (December 3, 2003)
Niza, 32, who lives in Mexico City with her parents and her beloved 10-year-old son, tells her story.
From BBC News
- Ain't I a Woman? Change (July/August 2003)
Deneen Robinson, an HIV-positive African-American woman, has been an HIV educator for seven years.
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In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- Crossing the Line (Summer 2003)
A staunch believer in traditional Chinese medicine explains why she decided to begin HIV meds.
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In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- Finding the Right Fit (Summer 2003)
[Archived Article]
Shelley Singer, an HIV/AIDS educator, public speaker and activist in the San Fernando Valley, has lived through several grueling regimens.
To read PDF, click here
In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- Hanging In (Summer 2003)
[Archived Article]
Sue Gibson, R.N., a clinical trials coordinator in Dallas, Texas, writes about her 14 years on HIV meds.
To read PDF, click here
In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- Happy Holidays? (Summer 2003)
[Archived Article]
Nancy Soto, a married New Jersey mother of two living with HIV, writes about her six years on meds and one disastrous drug holiday.
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In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- Just Point Me in the Right Direction (Summer 2003)
[Archived Article]
Before her diagnosis, Ellen Hahn wouldn't even take an aspirin.
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In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- "Unladylike" Talk About Sex Saves Lives (April 7, 2003)
[Archived Article]
Excerpts from an op-ed column by Laura Hall, a board member of the Black AIDS Institute.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- How I Learned to Love Myself (Spring 2003)
For Precious Jackson, it took an HIV diagnosis to find that self-worth begins from within.
To read PDF, click here
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- My Journey From Addiction and Incarceration to Recovery and Hope (2003)
Marina Alvarez, a Latina AIDS educator and community organizer, was the opening speaker at the World AIDS Conference in Amsterdam.
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From PositiveWords
- Paula Peterson and Griff Butler (2003)
In this excerpt from Roslyn Banish's book, an HIV-positive woman and her husband, who is negative, talk about their relationship, family life and raising their young son.
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In Focus on Living: Portraits of Americans With HIV and AIDS, from University of Massachusetts Press
- Activist: "The Secret Was Killing Me Faster Than the Disease" (October 10, 2002)
A profile of Rae Lewis-Thornton, who has been speaking publicly about living with HIV since 1994.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- One Day in the Life of Patricia Shelton (October 2002)
A 49-year-old black woman and mother of three grown daughters talks about her life.
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- A Personal Journey (July 2002)
An interview with Hulda, a woman infected with HIV 11 years ago when she was 47.
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In WISE Words, from Project Inform
- Positive Empowerment (July/August 2002)
[Archived Article]
Sylvia O'Shaughnessy is frank about her experience living with HIV and hepatitis C.
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In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- Meet a Brand-New Kimberly (April/May 2002)
One year and 281 pounds later, Kimberly -- who had two T cells when she was diagnosed -- is living a new life.
In Positive Living, from AIDS Project Los Angeles
- One on One: Personal Story (Spring 2002)
An interview with Margaret Shepard, a black woman who has lived with HIV for more than 10 years.
In STEP Perspective, from Seattle Treatment Education Project
- Personal Perspective: The Road From Perfection (Spring 2002)
Six years after her HIV diagnosis, Heidi Nass realized just how key diet and exercise are to her recovery.
To read PDF, click here
In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- Surviving in Troubling Times (December 2001)
Lindsay Rosier on living with HIV in New York before and after the World Trade Center attack.
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- Rebekka Armstrong, Former Playboy Playmate Turned HIV Activist, Talks About Her Journey From Glamour Girl to Safer-Sex Educator (October 16, 2001)
In The Guardian
- Rural Profile: Maria (Summer 2001)
The story of a 24-year-old Hispanic IV drug-using mother.
In STEP Perspective, from Seattle Treatment Education Project
- One-on-One With Earlene Hayden (May/June 2001)
An HIV-positive woman and former injection drug user herself, Earlene now works as a prevention specialist in Chicago.
To read PDF, click here
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- One-on-One With Leatrice Simpson (May/June 2001)
Close monitoring helps Leatrice to stay on top of both human papillomavirus (HPV) and HIV.
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In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- One-on-One With Sylvia Vázquez-O'Shaughnessy (May/June 2001)
Sylvia discusses her diagnosis in 1983, years of misunderstanding the disease and her path to empowerment.
To read PDF, click here
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
- How Do We Keep Going? (April 2001)
It's so hard to have self-confidence, to be a good person, to feel hopeful -- and that's just without an HIV diagnosis.
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- First Person: Kris C. Has Lived With HIV Since 1988 (Spring 2001)
Though she is over 50 years old, Kris' priority is speaking to young people about the risk of HIV.
To read PDF, click here
In STEP Perspective, from Seattle Treatment Education Project
- I Have HIV: My #1 Disease Is Drug Addiction (Spring 2001)
Former nurse Judith Fadden writes about her years of drug use, two prison terms and road to recovery.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- Wow! Is This Really Happening to Me? (Spring 2001)
Forty-six year old Judith Dillard recounts her life since diagnosis.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- Legal at Last! HIV-Positive Woman Gets Her Massage Therapy License, but Investigation of Los Angeles Police Commission Continues (February 2001)
[Archived Article]
In Positive Living, from AIDS Project Los Angeles
- Trekking With AIDS, Part 3 -- A Special Report (February 2001)
An HIV-positive woman completes the Appalachian Trail.
In HIV Newsline, from San Francisco General Hospital
- A Personal Perspective: Inside Job (Winter 2000/2001)
[Archived Article]
Lillian Thiemann has HIV, hepatitis and cirrhosis and is a recovering addict. Her 12-step recovery group helps her maintain her emotional quality of life.
In CRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- A Personal Perspective: Shit Happens and Then You Go on Meds (Winter 2000/2001)
Susan Rodriguez thought she could stay off meds forever by taking good care of herself -- she was dead wrong.
In CRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
- It's All About Empowerment -- A Visit With HIV/AIDS Activist Nancy Shearer (December 2000)
Interview with a Filipina mother and HIV advocate.
In Positive Living, from AIDS Project Los Angeles
- Living With HIV: An AIDS Diploma (August 2000)
A 20-year-old recounts how she was infected at birth.
In Positive Living, from AIDS Project Los Angeles
- Phyllis Anderson (July 2000)
From drugs and prison to a career in HIV education, Phyllis' story is one of survival.
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- This Space for Rent: Disclosing for Money in Focus Groups (February 2000)
A woman describes her experience participating in a marketing survey for HIV-positive people.
In Positive Living, from AIDS Project Los Angeles
- My Gift: A Personal Story of Living With HIV (January 19, 2000)
To read PDF, click here
From PositiveWords
- Excuse Me Miss ... (Winter 1999/2000)
Reflections on testing positive.
In Women's Treatment News, from PWA Health Group
- Mature Woman With HIV Feels Shunned by Her Own Community (November 1999)
After attending a conference for women with HIV, Jane Fowler advocates for greater acknowledgement and acceptance for older HIV-infected women.
In Positive Living, from AIDS Project Los Angeles
- Trekking With AIDS, Part 2 -- A Special Report (October 1999)
Taking on the challenge of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail -- on top of the challenge of taking a five-drug-a-day antiretroviral regimen.
In AIDS Care, from San Francisco General Hospital
- Living With HIV: Living Proof (September 1999)
Dawn tells her story about having two children while living with HIV.
In Positive Living, from AIDS Project Los Angeles
- Kimberly's Story (August 1999)
A woman learns to live with HIV and put herself first.
In Positive Living, from AIDS Project Los Angeles
- Trekking With AIDS, Part 1 -- A Special Report (August 1999)
Dawn Averitt describes taking on the challenge of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail -- on top of the challenge of remaining compliant with a five-drug antiretroviral regimen.
In HIV Newsline, from San Francisco General Hospital
- Powers of Example: Jackie Whitehead (May 1999)
An HIV-positive, African-American mother of three, Jackie talks about her journey to healing.
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- Carolyn's Story: From LA to London to HIV-Positive (October 1998)
A former model and a wild kid of the 1960s, Carolyn was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 47.
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- Ayisa Kennedy (August 1998)
Profile of a New York City woman who was diagnosed at the age of 19.
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- Anna's Story (Summer 1998)
An HIV-positive mother of two helps found a support group for women with HIV in Olympia, Wash.
In STEP Perspective, from Seattle Treatment Education Project
- Law of Attraction (Summer 1998)
AIDS is not attracted to people; we are all the same, it's just some of us got tagged.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- African-American and Latina Women Fight Culture to Obtain Care (May 1998)
[Archived Article]
Women talk about overcoming cultural objections to getting the treatment they need.
In Journal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, from International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care
- From Our Spirit: But by the Grace of God (March 1998)
Although she tested negative, Gale believes she could have tested positive just as easily.
In Positive Living, from AIDS Project Los Angeles
- Powers of Example: Theresa Nieves (September 1997)
"I was one of the few Latinas out there doing advocacy work, and who was not afraid to say 'I have AIDS'".
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- The Americas and HIV: Common Threads Across Borders (Fall/Winter 1997)
A Canadian woman struggles with the law, the healthcare system and the man who infected her.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- Powers of Example: Pearl Johnson -- a Grandmother With AIDS (July 1997)
A blind, HIV-positive woman has changed her life and welcomes her third grandchild to the world.
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- I'm Confused & I Want a Nobel Prize (Summer 1997)
Reflections on the National Conference on Women and HIV.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- May 14, 1997: Birthdays Visited and Revisited (Summer 1997)
Birthdays are very powerful markers for those of us living with HIV.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- My Virus, My Self (Summer 1997)
A woman "comes out" as HIV positive in a national magazine.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- Powers of Example: Nina Brown -- Mother and Survivor (June 1997)
A mother of four fought drugs and depression and has found peace with herself.
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- Boosting the Spirit of an HIV-Positive Woman (April 1997)
An African-American HIV-positive woman decides to give birth.
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- Kvitch: For the Love of Quotes (November 1996)
An HIV-positive woman muses on quotes that guide her life.
In Body Positive, from Body Positive
- Girls in "The Hood" Get It Too! (Summer 1996)
"I'm not gay, I'm not white and I'm not a man ... I didn't fit the profile of someone with HIV".
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- Homage to Magic Johnson (Spring 1996)
A woman gives cheers to the basketball player and the drugs keeping him healthy.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- Thank You From an HIV+ Woman (Spring 1996)
A woman "in the closet" finds support through the L.A. organization Women Alive.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- Women, Small Towns, and HIV: One Woman's Story (Winter 1995/1996)
Dealing with stigma and connecting with others.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- New Class of HIV Fighting Drugs: The Protease; One Woman's Experience (Autumn 1995)
Marlene Diaz details the ups and downs of a clinical trial.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- Living in South Africa With AIDS: A Personal Story (Summer 1995)
After running away from the hospital three times and being shunned by her family, Gloria has now come out publicly and believes there is life beyond diagnosis.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- A Mother and Her Child Come to Terms With AIDS (Summer 1994)
An HIV-positive woman has two children and describes how she dealt with parenthood.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
- A Mother's Thank You (Summer 1994)
Finding closure for her infant son's death from AIDS.
In Women Alive Newsletter, from Women Alive
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